Rynox Navigator Tail Bag 50L Product Review: 6 months update

Things I liked

I’m a big fan of the bag’s construction. It feels solid and rigid and is not flimsy. Even when the bag is empty, there’s this specific level of hardness that can be felt, and this inspires confidence. I have tried loading up the bag fully, and also with just a few things, and each time, the Navigator managed to shape itself so as to not look ugly when mounted.

Now that we are talking about mounting, you need to know that installing the tail bag on the motorcycle doesn’t take more than five minutes. At least, that is how much it took me on the Suzuki V-Strom SX, which had an excellent tail rack and provision for straps. I tend to unhook all the straps from the bike when carrying the luggage and then reinstall all of it, and to be honest, I can do this because it is not tedious. The quality of the straps, buckles, and G-hooks is outstanding.

There’s one thing that the folks at Rynox have brilliantly developed: the end of the straps. Usually, the straps are long, and once adjusted, the rest tends to hang around the luggage, which could be a safety issue. Rynox has provided Velcro straps that can be used once the straps are rolled up fully—such a brilliant feature.

As the name suggests, this bag has a capacity of 50 litres, and I love every aspect. It allowed me to pack almost a week’s luggage during my India Bike Week 2022 ride and the recently concluded 3,000km ride. This is a proper multi-day ride bag, and it performs brilliantly there. Inside the bag are three dry bags – two 12litres and one 24litre. The latter was primarily used for clothes, whereas the rest were for things like laptops and chargers. These dry bags couldn’t be tested as I wanted to because I barely encountered any rain in this duration.

Things I didn’t like

I think the pricing is marginally on the expensive side. I say this because I recommended this bag to many people, and most refuse to spend more than Rs. 6,000 on a Rynox bag. While I don’t mind spending this much on a bag that can accommodate a lot of luggage, it could be a bit too much for someone who has just entered the world of touring.

I wanted to test the V-Strom SX off-road, and luckily, I had the Navigator installed that day. I must say, it isn’t a great idea to go off-road with this luggage. The straps loosen up in a few minutes because some terrible patches are involved. And then, after a few jumps, the bag had almost unhooked itself. That day it became clear this bag cannot go off-road. Also, it is difficult to clean the bag when dirty. The Cordura fabric holds the dust quite a bit, and using a cloth or a soft brush to remove the dirt isn’t a good idea. It takes a lot of time and effort. I’ll try to clean the bag using a jet spray, but I’ll do this just before I post the final report of the bag.

What’s next?

Monsoon is almost here, and that means it is time to discover Maharashtra, and this state gets exceptionally green and beautiful during rains. I’ll mainly make weekend trips and explore some new places around Mumbai. The Rynox Navigator Tail Bag will also join me.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi